The F-35 wasn't a black project, the stealth aspects of course remain classified like all other U.S. stealth based aircraft but this project is unilateral spanning variants for several allies, Britain and Germany.

The F-35 wasn't a black project, the stealth aspects of course remain classified like all other U.S. stealth based aircraft but this project is unilateral spanning variants for several allies, Britain and Germany.

Yup. The X-35 and the X-32 were both considered, but Boeing's X-32 was just so ugly. And too radical.

I *think* the real reason the X-32 wasn't chosen was because there was a back-room deal to build the Lockheed variant after they lost the F22 battle. Technically, theirs was superior; but their bid was too much.

^Possibly. I've heard that all over when the X-35 was chosen, but I'm glad Lockheed won, though.

The X-32 was really radical though. So much that the demonstrator couldn't even have the radical Pelikan tail, and that they had to submit a second design in the middle of the X-32 production with conventional wings for the actual proposal. And I remember them having to remove the front "chin" of the plane during the VTOL test because of safety precautions. That kind of kinks does make a test plane design seem unreliable.

The Gov. has to make sure that there is "still" competition in the aerospace industry by dishing out contracts to the generally better bid; with exceptions when the longevity of the other is in question